Criticraft I: Legendary Golden Armor and Core Apple
by Raither B. Knight
Summary: A failed skeleton-zombie mutation hybrid named Hack is on the search for the legendary golden armor of the legendary armor of the former slayer Adam in order to stop the Dark Lord of the Shadows from destroying the entire overworld using a powerful core apple.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: Not even close to owning MC, if I did, mobs would be more colorful.**_

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**Legendary Golden Armor and Core Apple  
**

**Summary: **In this arc, a failed skeleton-zombie mutation hybrid named Hack sets off to continue the quest of his fallen brethren to find the Legendary Golden Armor of Adam and stop the Dark Lord of Shadows from using the Core Apple to destroy the overworld.

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**Chapter 1: Interception-Transaction  
**

The night seemed so misty and dangerous. The stars and the moon seemed to have had their lighting dimmed and shaded. The hills of the grassland biome, was simply green as it is for the night, even with the shaded light of the night. The grassland biome was next to a low clay canyon pass. Travelers also keep in mind the cobblestone boulders aimed directly for the pass. The night had presented a dimly lit half mood upon the mobs wandering below.

Underneath the dim night, a horse cart was seen driving itself on the lower pass of the clay canyon. The cart simply made out of wooden planks, it had a flag on top of it, poled and presented up right on top. The flag's color was mainly red and with a tint of gray stripes. The driver had a lantern hanging in front of him, he also carried a wooden sword and wore a plain leather set of armor, since he's only a plain zombie. Seated right beside him was a gray skeleton, having only a plain leather cap but he had a stone sword and a bow to match, he's skilled in both melee and ranged combat. The cart was being pulled by two leather armored zombie horses.

Inside the cart was a red-haired humanoid mob along with leather armor-clad vanilla zombies who serve as his bodyguards. Both zombie bodyguards wield an enchanted wooden sword. The humanoid mob had the look of a sea hunter with fairly tanned skin, brown eyes and red hair. He wore a black bandana on his head, along with a plain white shirt and brown leather vest, he wore brown wool cargo pants, and leather combat boots.

"How are you tonight my fine gentlemen?" The redhead spoke up and asked his two block bodyguards.

"We're fine bossman..." The first zombie replied, looking like the 'second-in-command-sergeant' type of mob towards the redhead as he responds to the question.

"It's a truly a night to be savored forever, noh?" The redhead add a bit of rogue accent in his tone. "So tell me, do you find the night dangerous, my two trusted zombies?" He turned his full attention to both of his bodyguards.

"A little bit boss... just a bit." The sergeant zombie replied, shaking a bit. "Though, what about you bossman? Are you scared too?"

The redhead just smiled towards the zombie sergeant. "Well, it's just that the biomes looks lovely tonight..."

"It is..." replied the second zombie who had a firm tone. "Though both me and the sarge should probably stay close, we wouldn't want you to end up sleeping with the fishes..." The sergeant zombie looked at his partner and nodded in agreement, and the redhead looked content.

"Very well then..." The redhead looked outside the cart window.

The biomes they passed by as they drive, were all similar to the normal biomes, except for a few ones that were generally in mods. The redhead also saw a few mobs roaming around and doing their thing.

But then, as they passed by a mutant biome hill, an arrow hit the cart out of nowhere. As the zombie driver pulled the reins, the horses made an abrupt stop, the cart rattled and shook before slowly calming down from the motion. The two riders on the front quickly sprung into action, both of them were combat ready as the approached the arrow, which to have hit the wooden wheel of the cart. Then the zombie sergeant stepped out of the cart, and joined the two front riders, with a sharp glance in his sights.

"What on earth happened?!" demanded the sergeant zombie, with a highly irritated tone.

"An arrow hit the wheel, some idiot must've been hunting in these parts..." The gray skeleton pointed at the arrow and looked around the mutant biome hills, before approaching the wooden wheel. "At least it didn't the wreck the wheel." The gray skeleton removed the arrow from the wheel, and kept it in his inventory.

The sergeant zombie sighed to himself before going back inside the cart as the two front riders took their places back into the cart's front. The cart continued its drive through the biomes. The red head look at the sergeant zombie.

"What happened outside?" the redhead asked to the sargeant zombie, curiously.

"It's nothing bossman..." The sergeant zombie reassured, turning his glance to his superior's sights. "Just some arrow that hit one of the wheels." He explained, straightforward.

"Alright, I guess it's better that there were no enemies." Even with his assured tone, the redhead was still suspicious. "You two will protect me, if it was or were an enemy right?"

"Of course bossman..." The sergeant zombie replied, as both him and his partner nodded to their superior, the words gave the redhead relief.

The drive went on, though unknown to the travelers, a mob was following them slyly, silently riding and following them through the biomes, on a zombie horse. The mysterious blocky mob held on to his bow as he continues to follow them.

=A few minutes later...=

"Ahh, we're finally here! noh?" The redhead gushed in his own rogue excitement, standing over the cobblestone road.

"Yes, we've arrived at Port Infernalia." The second zombie replied beside him, as the sergeant zombie stepped out of the cart at last. "The air of the waters, light of moon and the atmosphere of the place, this night will be truly rewarding, yet dangerous."

The port wasn't really much a common attraction towards players. Though for mobs, it was a popular trading ground. Tonight wasn't any different, a lot of mobs are within the port, doing what they'd commonly do for trades. Most mobs were blocky, but if one was to look hard enough, humanoids exist and live in the port as well. The dim sky wasn't really much of a pain for the night, in fact it even complimented the structures around the port.

The three mobs from the cart was walking down the cobblestone road, observing the mobs that was walking with them. The business at night was busy and packed as they passed through the marketplace, mobs and sights of trade was seen all around. The three cart mobs left the two behind in order to guard the cart, they left the cart because the route to their point of location wasn't that far.

"So where are we heading?" the redhead asked to the sergeant zombie.

"To the usual place, bossman..." The sergeant replied with his hands nervously trembling. "The warehouse in the beach."

"I see..." The redhead was curious about the arrangement of the deals every other night. "What did the old captain want this time?" He asked and looked at the second zombie.

"For tonight's deal, he'll be trading us a gold nugget per gunpowder shot..." Then the second zombie added. "He's also going to pay 3 iron ingots per musket that we can supply him with..."

"That old hoot should retire..." The redhead remarked. "Captain Venom is just another crazy old timer, some of his trade requests are just more and more expensive and ridiculous..." The redhead sighed and groaned.

"Give him a chance bossman..." The sergeant protested. "For all we know this could be his last trade of the night, if you get what I mean..." The sergeant zombie grinned as the two others were dumbfounded by his way of speech.

"No... what do you mean exactly?" The redhead tried to comprehend the sergeant's speech.

"We're not often sure to he'd often say, so we often just leave him case closed." The second zombie sighed towards the sergeant.

Then the walking trio reached the warehouse a few minutes later. Its location was somewhere in the beaches, it was seen in the cobblestone roads. It was near an abandoned and a ruined battle tower. The warehouse was also at the aim of a nearby hill, the structure was merely below the naturally-occurring landmass. The beach was just ordinary with sand all over it, and a few cacti growing. The warehouse was made out of bricks, cobblestone and wooden planks. It had a few guard mobs watching over it, some of then were mounted on horses. They had the same insignia and flag as our trio had in their horse cart, and the guards were dressed the same way as the zombies. Including, a humanoid who was wearing leather armor, but he was wearing a pair of glasses and was sporting a gray beard, but he musket rifle with a bayonet strapped behind his back. He then snickered slowly and smiled towards the trio.

"It's often nice to see you here, Nikolai..." The old hoot snickered in a nice way, as he sees the young leader.

"Yeah, yeah, it's nice to see you too, old man..." Nikolai rolled his eyes and blew his red hair as he referred to Venom in a minorly irritated greeting.

"Good evening sir." The sargeant zombie greeted and he nodded towards Captain Venom. The second zombie shook hands with the old captain and simply nodded as well.

"So, enough chit-chat, we're just here for our trade and we'll be on our way..." Nikolai was simply board with this deal so quickly.

Then both associates started trading weapons and commodity with value. The night continued on as the two groups from the same clan would continue their trading. But then the mysterious figure from earlier was on the hilltop looking over the warehouse. He grabbed an explosive arrow from his quiver and inserted it inside on his bow. He then aimed for the trade going on below him, he had no intent to kill, but he needs a distraction in order for him to grab the package...

_"Happy birthday..." _The mysterious figure grinned as he released the arrow from the bow.

Then suddenly an explosion was heard from beneath him...


	2. Chapter 2

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft..._**

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**Chapter 2: The Chase**

The arrow shortly hit the ground below the mysterious figure as it made a short explosion on a part of blocky and sandy ground. It conveyed the attentions of the mobs, both that were trading and guarding within the warehouse area. One of the guards seems to have gotten hurt from the explosion, as he was knocked back distant. The mysterious figure grinned to himself as he waited for any of the mobs to notice him.

"Look over there!" The sergeant zombie pointed up to the mysterious figure standing over the warehouse hills. "Let's get him!" Then the sergeant zombie took action and rushed towards the hill, followed by the others as the mysterious figure runs into the nearby biome.

Some of the mobs chasing the mysterious figure were mounted on horses, the hooves gallop on the ground as the mysterious figure quickly evades. But unknown to them, he simply luring them into his trap as he was running towards an abandoned village. Once he's there, he took shelter at an abandoned shack and waited for his hunters. He strapped kept his bow and drew out his flint sword, he took a deep breath as he heard footsteps. The trio from earlier was within the hunt, along with Captain Venom's group as they looked all around the abandoned village for the mysterious bow wielder.

Then one of the mobs was in the figure's sights, he aimed slowly at the distance towards the location at the clueless hunter. He released the arrow, as it traveled towards the mobs with speed. Bulls eye! it hit the mob with no problem, damaging the hunter with a few hearts. The hunter grunted, then his group heard the grunt and some of the hunters quickly gathered around him.

"It came from over there!" The damaged mob pointed the direction of a small collection of abandoned wooden houses and shacks. The mysterious moved out silently towards the nearby cobble watch tower as the hunters moved in on the shacks.

One by one the hunters searched each house and each shack, but with no luck of finding the sniper. Unknown to them, the mysterious figure was above the cobblestone watch tower, setting his aim for the sergeant zombie with his bow and arrow. The hunters were in the fury of confusion, as they scattered, but the mysterious figure followed his aim still at the sergeant zombie, who seem to be completely unaware of being in the sights of a sniper. Then without warning, an arrow hit the sergeant below, damaging a few of his hearts. Two of the hunters, including his second zombie partner rushed over the scene, though the sergeant slowly got barraged by consecutive arrows, without a choice he took defense behind a wooden shack.

"Take cover!" yelled the second zombie, as he cover behind another shack, next to the shack being hid by the sergeant. The other hunter did the same, hiding behind a building.

Then the mysterious disappeared from the top of the cobblestone watch tower as the arrows stopped firing. Then the sergeant zombie along with his two comrades moved in for the tower. But unknown to them, the figure has set up a tripwire trap for them. As they stepped inside the, the sergeant zombie stepped on the tripwire.

"SHI-" The sergeant's exclamation was cut off, as an explosion was suddenly triggered.

The explosion was heard all around, as the hunters gathered up on the former scene of cobblestone watch tower. None of the trio seemed to have survived as rotten flesh and a few pieces of leather armor was seen. The redhead humanoid seemed really scared, as he picked up what remained of his two bodyguards.

_"Holy crap..." _The redhead thought as he looked as the destroyed building.

Unknown to them the mysterious is simply hiding underneath the well beside the destroyed tower. He held his breath carefully, being trained in this kind situation, as he slowly waited them out. Though the water pressure and lack of air was making him dizzy, he stood persistent, as he will not let his target slip away. Then he heard the hunters staying in one group to search the village, instead of splitting up.

_"Great..." _The mysterious figure thought, sarcastically _"... at least my traps will be put to use..." _Then he swam up to the surface a few minutes later, as the hunters have moved away from the location.

Meanwhile, as the group went to hunt, some of them were terminated quickly by the traps that were set up by the figure himself. All of them individually got killed by the traps, until only the redhead and Captain Venom remained.

"Aye! me boy! We'd be the only ones left..." captain Venom realized that the odds were all against them both. He took his revolver up and drew his sword.

"Got that right, gramps..." the redhead replied, taking out his sword. "And judging by this way, I'd say he's looking something from both of us..." The redhead came to the conclusion, as he felt something was a foot in between the lines. "Do you have anything valuable on you?" He suspected Venom since he's the main trading officer for the group.

"Aye... hold on for a second..." captain Venom then was reaching for object in his pockets, then as he took it up, it revealed to be a map in his hands. "I think this could be what that huntsman is lookin' for..." He held up the map and showed to the redhead.

"What is it?" The redhead raised his brow up, having completely no idea what the map was about.

"The merchant told me that it was some sort of route for a cave that contains a legendary set of golden armor..." Venom was still speechless of the fact that he had been given something like this. "...the merchant also stated that this golden armor belonged to a former dragon slayer, named Adam..."

"So, it's like a treasure map?" The redhead simplified through a more understandable way.

"Aye..." The old captain nodded in agreement. "This'd be a rare find for anyone who's willing to get their hands on it..."

"Then whatever route it contains..." The redhead raised up his weapon defensively. "We ain't lettin' no killer get it." He added a bit of rogue accent to his speech.

The two mobs were back to back with each other, forming a protective sight around them, but the dark surroundings were a problem. The mysterious had them in his sights, both of them were in the middle of gravel road, in between two houses and the blacksmith's forgery. The mysterious figure grinned as he saw a trail of gunpowder leading into one of the houses next to the two mobs.

_"Perfect..." _The figure grabbed his flint and steel, and simply waited for the right moment, as both mobs kept moving towards the rigged house. _"Say goodnight..." _The figure then lit the trail of gunpowder, as it quickly traveled to the house, filled with explosive keg blocks.

"FIRE!-" The old captain was too late, as both him and the redhead was struck by the huge explosion.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Fight of the Dawn  
**

The redhead found himself in the eyes and hands of the figure's mercy. He nervously walked around, with his sword and Venom's revolver in hand. He was locked on to be the next target, since he took the map after Venom got burned in the explosion. He walked the trails back to the port, with each step he took a nervous precaution. He kept himself alert, but unsure of his paranoia.

_"Shit, gotta stay focused in getting back to the cart." _His sanity slowly diminishes as he walks further into the dark trail, on the gravel road. _"I have to protect this map, at all costs..."_

Then as he was walking past by a tree, an arrow was fired and hit the tree. The redhead's eyes widened as he searched for the arrow's bow and its wielder. He did so with haste and caution, trying his best not to be in the figure's sights. Then another arrows has heard fired and was coming towards the redhead's direction. The redhead jumped and rolled out of the way, as it hit the ground, puncturing the grassy block. The redhead then ran for his life, heading towards the town with all his might.

_"I'm almost there..." _witch each stomp in his run, the redhead panted tiredly. _"C'mon... I can make it..."_

But fate was cruel, suddenly the figure teleported before him. Before the redhead can even react, the figure smacked the redhead in the face with a wooden stick. The hit was then quickly followed by a beating, the head tried to defend himself, but he stood no chance against the figure because of his physical weakness and the psychological variability.

The redhead went down as the figure finished off his beating. The redhead had dropped his sword and revolver in the middle of the fight. The figure then stood over the fallen and panting redhead, looking over the insane man's tired and vulnerable facial expression. The mysterious figure was a blocky, yet infernal mob. His facial features were a failed combination of a mutation between a zombie and a skeleton. He wore shoulder pads that had the coloring of bedrock gray and black, and his white bony rib cage, slightly dripping of purple-magenta mutagenic compounds, underneath his ragged gray leather cloak. He wore a pants that was ripped upon his ankles, as it also showed stains of mutagenic compounds.

"You shouldn't have kept the map..." The mysterious figure was a bit irritated of the redhead's stupidity along with the mindlessness of his late companions. "You should've given it to me the first moment you realized that it what I was after, but no..." The figure shook his head in disgust. "..you had to insists in protecting it...now give it to me..."

The redhead took no reply, he seemingly had no choice, especially with the mutated figure aiming his own revolver at his forehead. The redhead threw the map to the mutated figure, who immediately accepted the peace offering. But the mutated figure had other plans, the mutated figure then walked towards the redhead, and swiftly he hit the redhead's forehead with the pistol's hand end. The redhead was instantly knocked out, his unconscious body laid upon the ground. The mutated figure then quickly carried the redhead around his shoulders, as he walks towards the warehouse. He had no expression of regret or hatred for what he had already done.

Then as he reached the warehouse, he quickly got some lead from his inventory and quickly tied the redhead up. He then left him outside of the warehouse, near the stables. No guards were on duty because they were part of those who were killed in the chase for the figure. The mutated figure smirked to himself, as easily broke the revolver in his own two hands. Next he left the redhead's wooden sword right in front of him along with the split and broken pieces of the revolver. He also looted Venom's medallions from the redhead, as his trophy for solely beating a group of hunter single-handed using his cunning wits and hunting knowledge.

_"Alright, now to get back to my home and study this map..." _The mutated figure then called his trusty gray horse, and simply rode it back to the mutant biomes, which had served as his home for such a long time.

But suddenly, as he was peacefully riding back to the trail, he then heard and sensed a few mobs around him. With the scent of the ever-familiar whale oil, he was already familiar what he was up against, and had no problem of facing them.

_"Whaler mobs..." _The mutated figure glanced over at his surroundings, the whalers were trying to hide from him, but unknown to them he can gradually pick up on your location if you're in a certain radius. _"... these guys never get tired..." _The mutated figure then readily put his hand near the to handle of broken flint sword.

Then suddenly a familiar sight of glowing lantern, black gas mask, black cloak and jackets appeared, on a few blocky mobs. The mutated figure was not even fazed about this at all, since the smell of theft along with whale oil, was already in the air.

"Well well, what do we have here?" One of the whaler mobs, who seemed to the the operations head of the squadron.

"Nothin' but an old freaky horseman." Another whaler hooted, the rest of the group chuckled, but the mutated figure seemed very unamused, but he kept himself alert. "What's wrong boy? Got a little bit of fire down yer' face?" The rest of the group continued to laugh and snicker, but the leader then gestured for them to settle down.

"Now..." The leader paused. "...Give us your loot, and well let you keep your face." He raised his weapon, a rusty old iron sword, and his lackeys did the same while some held pistols and knives, and one of them held a small tank with whale oil.

"And what if I don't comply?" The sarcasm in the figure's voice was overwhelming for a bit.

"Then, you go to the slaughter house with your horse meat here." The leader's warning was followed by a few chuckling by the whalers.

"Well then... catch me if you can..." The mutated figure suddenly made his swift a ride out of the jungle, it took a few seconds for the leader to react to his quick escape.

"Stop him! Stop that freak!" The leader yelled, as he and the whalers ran for the mutated figure's direction.

The hooves of the mount ran through the forest biome as quickly as possible, the figure took no glance behind, as his followers were not far behind. The whalers then decided to split up, planning to surround the mutated mob on the run, but unknown to them, the forest was actually trapped by various hunters. It didn't take long for the whalers to be caught in the spirals of traps set up. After a few minutes of galloping, the mutated figure then stepped from his mount, as he hid the horse out of sight. He'd then genuflected down at the moon, as he took a deep breath.

_"Rulers of the Infernal Skies... hear my call." _The mutated figure prayed, then suddenly, his enchantments were suddenly felt all around him. He suddenly felt the surge of strength and power that raised through his veins, as he saw the whalers coming his way.

He drew his weapon, not hesitating for moment, as the the first whaler charged at him. He tactically evaded each slash of the knife, as the figure quickly broke the blocky whaler's neck, killing him instantly. Then another was shooting at him from the distance, as another charged at him with a stone sword, he dodged and block the wooden sword, as he suddenly pushed the wielder's head into the way of the bullet. Then the stone sword wielder slipped up, as he got in the back of the chest with an incoming bullet, the mutated figure picked up the stone sword and quickly threw on the shooter who seemed to reloading, the shooter was hit instantly on the chest with force.

"Shooter cover me! And you! let's take him out!" The leader declared his orders, as he charged towards the mutated figure. One was left behind to cover him with a pistol, and another followed him.

The leader and the mutated figure engaged in a sword fight to the death, the other whaler, just tried to move along with swift of the two fighter. But the shooter was having a bit of trouble aiming for the right target. Then suddenly, as the captain slashed, the mutated figure suddenly teleported behind the shooter. The shooter was oblivious to the presence of the infernal mob behind him, right up until the shooter was decapitated by the mutated figure's flint sword. The two remaining fighters then charged towards the figure, but suddenly both of them were struck by lightning called upon by the mutated figure, the two fighters were on fire and also had blindness and weakness as their side effects. The leader and his lackey were both unaware of their surroundings, until the leader heard a gunfire from one of the pistols, and a grunt from the lackey then followed by quick thud to the ground. The leader was the only one left, as he fought for his life, the blindness and weakness cleared, but the mutated figure was nowhere, he was nervously searching for the little sneak. The mutated figure was distant to the leader, as he had his bow and arrow on. The figure then took an aim for the leader's head carefully assuming the position.

_"And..." _The figure quickly released the arrow from his bow, as it traveled fast, them ramming the blocky mob with a deadly arrow. As a result instant death. _"...bull's eye..." _The figure smirked to himself, as he walked back to where he hid his horse and simply mounted it again.

The mutated figure sighed to himself, as he looks back to the bloodied scene, keeping his flint sword and his bow back to his inventory. Then the mutated figure pulled the reins on his trusty mount, as rode off, to the start of a new sunrise.


End file.
